In a historic first for the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago has been elected as the 267th Pope, choosing the name Pope Leo XIV. He becomes the first American in the Church’s 2,000-year history to rise to the papacy.

He was elected on the fourth ballot during the second day of the conclave, which included 133 voting cardinals. The traditional white smoke rising from the 15-shuttle chimney signaled the successful election, prompting joyful celebrations from the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

Prevost rose to the papacy following the death of Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Sunday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 in his residence at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. While Prevost is certainly a familiar name to many, there are still several intriguing facts about him that remain relatively unknown.

Pope Robert Francis Prevost is a big tennis enthusiast

Pope Robert Francis Prevost is an avid fan of tennis and has been for years. However, as he once admitted, after receiving the cardinal’s red hat just a few months into his tenure, he found it difficult to find time for the sport.

He especially missed playing since leaving Peru, where he had served at the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas in the country’s northwest.

“I consider myself quite the amateur tennis player,” he said during an interview. “Since leaving Peru I have had few occasions to practice so I am looking forward to getting back on the court.”

Interestingly, the Italian Open—an ATP and WTA 1000 tournament currently underway in Rome—witnessed a unique moment in tennis history. As a match was being played on Campo Centrale, the announcement of the new Pope was broadcast on the stadium’s side screen with full sound, marking a first for any tennis tournament.